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The ancient samurai warriors of Japan are among the most infamous warriors to ever set foot on the battlefields of human history. Feared for their full-body armor and immense skill in warfare, the samurai were viewed as important members of Japanese society, and their teachings are still commonly found in modern Japanese societal and martial arts teachings. Right now, the 2016 1 oz Silver Niue Warriors of History Samurai Coin is available to purchase on Silver.com.

Coin Highlights:

Arrives in a beautiful, Warriors of History-themed box with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Total mintage capped at 5,000 coins for this design release.

First release of the Warriors of History series.

Consists of One Troy ounce of .999 fine silver.

Bears a face value of $2 (NZD) backed by the government of Niue.

Obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Reverse includes a brilliantly colorized image of a samurai warrior.

Samurai is a word with a deep heritage in Japanese society, and in Chinese society, as well. The Chinese character that samurai derived from was a verb to “accompany persons” in the upper ranks of society, which connects directly to the original Japanese term saburau.

Over time, this definition normalized across both Chinese and Japanese cultre to mean “Those who serve in close attendance to the nobility.” Samurai warriors were not only the military nobility of Japan and an officer caste in the culture’s medieval and early-modern history, they were usually closely associated with a clan or specific lord. They were highly trained in military tactics and grand strategy that evolved into the art of bushido. At their height, samurai numbered less than 10% of Japan’s total population.

This is the first release in the new series of silver colorized coins from the New Zealand Mint entitled Warriors of History. While the history of human warfare is full of examples of awe-inspiring fighters, the samurai may be the most well known around the world and make a fitting choice to launch this series.

The obverse of all coins in the series will feature the traditional portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Used on all commonwealth currency since 1998 when it was created by Ian Rank-Broadley, this right-profile portrait is the fourth-generation image of Her Majesty since 1952.

On the reverse of the 2016 1 oz Silver Niue Warriors of History Samurai Coin is the colorized image of a samurai warrior, clad in full body armor and preparing to draw his deadly, sharp samurai sword.

The New Zealand Mint is a private company located in Auckland and is the only mint in New Zealand. However, it is not the nation’s official mint. New Zealand currency is struck overseas at the Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Mint.

Please feel free to contact Silver.com with any questions you might have about this new series. Our customer service team is available at 888-989-7223, online using our live chat, and via email.